dalandser Posted May 20, 2011 Report Share Posted May 20, 2011 (edited) Hello, I'm refinishing a basswood bodied project guitar. I would like to have a transparent white finish. I have been researching some and have found that since I don't have a sprayer, the most common approach will be using a sanding sealer and a transparent white rattle can to get the right level of color / transparency and then a clear protective coating. I do not mind if some character of the wood shows through so I would like to omit a grain filling step. I would like to start by use a brush on sanding sealer such as Zinnser Bulls Eye Wood Seal Coat. I have read to sand after a first coat and apply a second and then sand to about 320. The next step is a toss up between Reranch Mary Kaye lacquer rattle can and this: http://www.amazon.com/Montana-Gold-Transparent-Spray-Paint/dp/B00251O2OC Montana Gold Magic White Transparent spray paint which seems to be a high quality paint. I would rather go for the spray paint since it's a lot cheaper. One thing I have read about spraying a color coat of lacquer is not to sand it before applying clear. Why is this? I figured if the color is too opaque and I want to make it more transparent I can just lightly sand it down uniformly over the whole body. I'm pretty sure there will be no problem doing this with the spray paint if I go that route. Why is this said about lacquer? If it is because scratches from sanding will show through the clear, then this is not a problem for me since I am going for a matte / satin finish. The final step, the clear, may depend on whether I go for the spray paint or the lacquer for the color coat. I am not planning on buffing the clear coat, rather sanding it very smooth / rubbing with steel wool for a matte / satin finish. Would a lacquer or Krylon clear coat be more durable? I know each requires a long time, perhaps two weeks to fully cure or evaporate in the case of the lacquer. Also, would a lacquer clear work on a spray paint color coat and would a Krylon clear coat work on a lacquer color coat? My focus for this project is achieving a durable and ascetically pleasing finish for a low price. I do not expect it to look like a factory finish since I would like a matte or more likely satin appearance that is also resistant to denting from careful use. Any help will be appreciated. There's no rush since I'm still finishing smoothing out the contours and am getting better about planning ahead and being patient with my projects. Thank you and have a great day, Anthony Edited May 20, 2011 by dalandser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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